Shelter is the nature version of Journey, with as a major difference that you have something to lose. The game is serene and tense, linear in a way that it feels natural, beautiful and simply special in every way.

While the game is somewhat pricey considering its runtime lands just slightly over two hours, it’s marvelously unique. If you’re even slightly interested in what living the life of a badger is like, give it a shot. Its mechanics do grow tired towards the end, but the overall experience is so fascinating I can’t help but recommend it.

Shelter is a bit short and a bit too easy, but it's also beautiful, touching and unique. Also, it's a game about badgers, how could you not like it? I would love to see an expanded sequel, even if it would just be more of the same. [Oct 2013]

Shelter is a game about being a badger and strange as that may sound
it is first and foremost a pleasant and beautiful little adventure. It
doesn't really strive to anything majestic but it's still a great
game for those who want something different.

Portraying the casual indifference from nature to it residents is a neat idea, but Shelter can't come up with enough ways to cleverly explore that relationship. The message is clear pretty early on and a change in scenery and context isn't enough to make it any more interesting. It sure is beautiful, though, and as the final scene fades away you can't help but smile.

Any game that can make me haul out quotes from both a 17thcentury philosopher and a 60’s era bard is worthy of note, but the technical shortcomings (i.e. camera wrangling) of several generations ago, and the fact that it can easily be completed in one sitting, really hamstring the overall experience that Shelter offers when it comes down to the brass tacks.

This is a lovely game, let down not by its mechanical simplicity, but by its resistance to doing more with those mechanics. Yet when it taps into basic animal instinct, Shelter reminds us just how precious life is, and how apathetic the laws of nature are to our pleas for mercy.

Try and play Shelter as a perfectionist and you’ll fail, the victim of a cruel world and occasionally clunky, unclear rules. Better to simply do your best, allow Might and Delight’s fantastical art to enthrall, and let nature take its course.

Shelter certainly doesn’t outstay its welcome, clocking in at just over an hour for an entire playthrough. It’s a short game with just a few levels, but given the lack of variety it is probably a good thing it’s not much longer.

If you have the urge to put yourself in sow's place, and protect your cubs on a road through the forest full of uninteresting obstacles, then Shelter is a good choice for you. Otherwise, try to read the Adams' Watership Down classic adventure novel.

The base idea has plenty of potential, although for some reason the developer built only the bare minimum around it. At least the game is cheap. If you're looking for something unusual, and temporarily weird but in semi-satisfying way, I recommend giving it a chance.

Shelter briefly teases with an original concept, but quickly ties you hand and foot, and then throws you into a blocky wasteland. Yes, one can argue that the game is a big metaphor for the circle of life and motherhood, but even this angle doesn’t make it interesting.

That Shelter is not a particularly convincing simulation of being a badger is no real sin—I doubt many people want to play a game about eating earthworms all day. The game's real failure is that it's not an emotionally compelling representation of parenthood. It convincingly shows that the cubs need their mother, but fails to convey the possibility that they can ever not need her.

Shelter wants you to feel compassion for your badger cubs but it doesn't give you a lot to work with. Because of the short duration, dull color scheme and simple gameplay you never get the real feeling of bonding with your little ones.

In the end I did enjoy Shelter but I don’t think it’s for everyone and unfortunately, instead of condensing an experience to fit a smaller time-frame, it felt more like the experience was just cut short.

It sets out to explore a very compelling set of themes, parenthood, responsibility and the casual cruelty of nature, but it ends up doing so in the most straightforward and predictable way possible. It's almost ironic how a game so adamantly about nature manages to feel so unnatural.

If you haven't PS3 for playing Journey, Flow, Flower but love games like these buy it. 1-2 hours of freestyle gameplay awaits you! Also, ifIf you haven't PS3 for playing Journey, Flow, Flower but love games like these buy it. 1-2 hours of freestyle gameplay awaits you! Also, if you like design in games, you should see it.…Full Review »

This game is Sooooo short its awful, $10 for a game that is 50 minutes to 2 hours long? and it's only 2 hours if you go really really slow,This game is Sooooo short its awful, $10 for a game that is 50 minutes to 2 hours long? and it's only 2 hours if you go really really slow, and i mean really slow...
It is NOT and open world game like alot of us were led on to believe and it is a very linear game that will have you screaming for something more about 30 minutes in. I had great expectations for this game because it looked amazing and people on green light were raving about it. But i was left with a very sad and dull experience. If developers all stark taking a page out of Shelters book then the video game industry would be in for a world of hurt.
IMHO this game is in NO WAY worth $10, maybe 4.99 mmmmmaybe!!!! but 10?? ohhhh nonono…Full Review »

A let down. It was a promising concept, I even voted for this game in Steam Greenlight. If you've seen the gameplay trailers, you've seen mostA let down. It was a promising concept, I even voted for this game in Steam Greenlight. If you've seen the gameplay trailers, you've seen most of the game. It took me a really long time to play (I rarely ran), that is 2h 20min, so it's not a 50min game for me. Still, there's not much gameplay and it's more of an "experience" like Journey, To the Moon (both are a lot better than Shelter) and Dear Esther (this one's actually worse well, subjectively speaking). This game is definitely not worth its price, buy it for a few bucks and treat as a single evening entertainment (just like a movie).…Full Review »